Schools Cause Furor By Installing Bathroom Cameras — Is It Fair?
Teenagers attending hundreds of schools across Britain are now being watched by Big Brother every time they use the toilet.
A new report finds that surveillance cameras have been installed in student bathrooms.
According to privacy advocates Big Brother Watch, freedom of information inquiries sent to more than 4,100 schools have uncovered some 207 high schools in England, Wales and Scotland that have installed security cameras in their school bathrooms and locker rooms.
Privacy activists say they are not sure if the student population is being protected, while school officials contend the cameras are there to protect student well-being.
Lesley Bowes, principal of the King Ecgbert School, says video footage is only looked at if there is reason to believe that acts of misconduct have occurred. She says surveillance efforts monitor the common area of the restroom and do not invade on any of the student’s private business.
However, the Information Commissioner’s Office says that surveillance of public toilets and changing areas is perfectly legal, making it lawful for schools to monitor student’s private functions if they so choose.
Fortunately, those rules do not apply to the United States where cameras are prohibited from bathrooms, locker rooms, and other places where there might be a “reasonable expectation of privacy,” according to the Justice Department.
So, if schools are only viewing video footage when suspected wrongdoings have taken place, and they are not encompassing the full spectrum of their surveillance capabilities to crack down on suspicious activities as they occur, then why even have cameras?
School officials say that while violent crime is commonplace among high schools in Britain, the cameras are not being used to catch these types of issues, but more like the typical teenage offenses like smoking, bullying and fighting.
[ABC News]
Tim McGraw Reveals How He Learned of His True Paternity
Tim McGraw's father was late Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw, who died of brain cancer in 2004. While the two didn't form a strong relationship until Tim was 18, the 'Highway Don't Care' singer revealed to Larry King how he discovered his birth certificate and thus uncovered his true paternity.
Female Arm Wrestler Has a Scream That Will Scare the Pants Off of You
May 19, 2013 10:00 AM I am NOT athletic at all. So, my tactic to win or at least appear like some sort of competition to my opponent is to look the part or sound the part. This female arm wrestler must have taken a play right out of the Leslie Morgan play book. Rule number 1....make your bark SO big, they won't notice you have no bite!! ;-)
Her scream would scare even the biggest, toughest male arm wrestler!
What are the Best Summer Jobs for Students in Evansville?
May 19, 2013 7:00 AM Ahh, the summer job. You slave away during your break so you can "save" your money and live easy during the school year. Yeah right! We compiled a list of the best summer jobs here in Evansville. If you know of any more, let us know!
‘Sad Cat Diary’ Offers Hilarious Insight Into the Mind of a Cat
May 19, 2013 4:00 AM As, you know, Jon refers to me as 'The Cat Lady' on the air. Just because I adopted my first cat a year ago and have since acquired 7 more, doesn't make me a cat lady. Or does it??? ;-) Ok, I know it would appear that I, if I'm not the cat lady NOW, I am well on my way. In the past year, I have become very in tune with cats and all of their personalities. Maybe that's why I love them so much and they, in turn, are drawn to me. lol
I found a video that gives a little insight to the mind of the sad cat (which is only ONE of their many personalities) Watch, learn and laugh!! It's seriously, hilarious!
Annual Book Sale at Willard Library Set for June 1st
The area's largest one day book sale will feature books from nearly every genre along with other materials for purchase.
‘Koalaing’ Could Be the Cutest Web Photo Trend Yet
Forget (if you haven't already) milking, planking, hadokening, any of those-ings that were internet fads for a hot minute. They've been replaced. They're done. Koalaing -- that's the trick o' the day. It involved clinging as tightly to a pole or tree as possible like a koala. It's pretty adorable. Check it out.
Chris Young Doesn’t Feel Pressure When It Comes to Fourth Album
With a string of No. 1 singles – 'Tomorrow' and 'You' from 2011's 'Neon,' and 'Gettin' You Home,' 'The Man I Want to Be' and 'Voices,' from 2009's 'The Man I Want to Be'-- there are expectations surrounding Chris Young's upcoming fourth album. But as for pressure? Pft. He's feeling none of that.
Remember When George Strait Went to Prison?
It was the wildest show behind bars, and George Strait was in the thick of it for one year in the early '80s. He wasn't the only one. Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall … they all did time behind the walls of the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Dierks Bentley Says Third Baby Was ‘Kinda Planned, Kinda Unplanned’
Dierks Bentley, with decidedly shorter hair, spoke to a Jacksonville radio station during an appreciation event for the military and revealed how his wife Cassidy let him know that their third bundle of joy was on the way. The pregnancy, according to Bentley, was sort of a surprise, but not really.
Would Keith Urban Return to ‘American Idol’?
Most average people hate their jobs, toiling away to earn a wage and to make ends meet. It is a rare and precious few who get to do what they love for a living, and Keith Urban is one of those fortunate folks when it comes to being a judge on the embattled 'American Idol.' The singer and guitarist wants to return to his seat for Season 13 in 2014 and with good reason.